The Bond Between Love and Joy
by H-Dawg-luvs-anime
Summary: A new team is sent to subdue the mixed duo. Joyless' Sacrifice grows curious of the two and continues to meet with them and their friends in secret. As the danger against the group grows, a powerful bond forms between two Sacrifices. RitsukaxOC
1. Chapter One: Joyless

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Loveless_ or its characters. They belong to Yun Kouga and Tokyopop. I do own Ayame and Haku.**

**To clear things up for people: Yes, I know _Loveless_ is a shounen-ai series and I do like it, but I had this idea in mind for a long time and I could not resist making a RitsukaxOC. DO NOT FLAME ME!! He's just too adorable!**

**Ritsuka: Can we start this already?**

* * *

**The Bond Between Love and Joy**

**By H-Dawg_luvs_anime**

**Chapter 1 - Joyless**

"Come forth, 'Joyless.'"

Two young people walked toward Ritsu. One was a boy around thirteen years of age. He had short, light-blue hair and ominous light-green eyes. His face would have been considered very attractive if not for the stony expression adorning it. His cat ears had rather wild looking fur at the very tips of each pointed appendage. The light-green tail on his lower back was short and fluffy. He was wearing a long-sleeved grey shirt and black jeans. Beside him was a small ten-year-old girl. One look at her physical appearance and you could tell that she was an albino. Her white hair was short at the back and grew longer as it got to the front of her face. The very front of her hair reached the top of her chest in length. (1) Her pinkish eyes held no light in them. Her snow-white skin looked even paler in her black turtleneck top and short, black skirt that fell to a few inches above her knee. She wore long, white socks and black Lolita-styled shoes. Snowy-colored ears sat on top of her head and a long, slinky white tail stretched out from her lower back. Like the boy she was with, she was not smiling, but her expression was more solemn and depressed compared to the boy's serious look.

This was the 'Joyless' unit.

Ritsu smiled at the children, "I trust you know of the Beloved and Loveless team we have been trying to catch." The boy nodded while the girl continued to stare at the floor. Ritsu continued, "So far, all of our attempts have been… less than satisfying. You are the next team we will send out to pursue them. Do not fail me, 'Joyless.'"

The boy nodded again and turned to the small girl. His steely gaze met her intimidated one as he commanded, "Let's go, Ayame."

"Yes, Haku-kun…," the albino said quietly. She followed the boy out of Ritsu's office.

The Septimal Moon teacher watched the team leave and chuckled darkly. "What a strange relationship they have," he pondered. "The Fighter unit is the one in complete control over the Sacrifice. Then again, Haku can be quite… persuasive in getting his way."

* * *

Aoyagi Ritsuka walked home from school with Agatsuma Soubi right at his side.

Soubi looked down at his current Sacrifice and asked, "Do you want me to come to your room tonight, Ritsuka?"

The twelve-year-old turned to the older man and replied, "No. My mother is starting to wonder. She says she can hear me talking to someone. It's best if you stop coming for a little while."

"Yes, Ritsuka," the Fighter unit nodded. He then smiled and said, "I love you."

Ritsuka blushed slightly and rolled his eyes skyward. "I keep telling you to stop saying that. When will you obey _that_?"

Soubi looked as though he was about to reply when he suddenly stilled and turned stern eyes to the right of the pair.

"Soubi?" Ritsuka questioned, looking concerned for the man. Then he understood. "It's a new unit, isn't it?" The blond nodded. "Do you think they're strong?"

"I'm not sure," Soubi answered, "but either way, we need to be careful."

"'Loveless!!'"

Ritsuka and Soubi looked in the direction the voice came from and saw a boy and a girl. The boy, a green-haired preteen, was the one who addressed the two and the white-haired girl kept her eyes hidden beneath her bangs. To Ritsuka's surprise, she seemed to be even younger than himself, like a ten-year-old.

Soubi studied the two closer than Ritsuka and took curious note of their body language. The boy was holding the girl's arm in a tight grip, and not the protective kind of tight grip. He was sure her arm was going to bruise from the pressure. The girl in question was slightly trembling in obvious fear, though he wasn't sure what was the cause of that fear.

"We are 'Joyless,' the ones without joy, and we challenge you!!" the boy spoke again. He then turned to the girl, "Ayame, behave like a Sacrifice should! Take my pain from this battle… you know what will happen if we lose."

The albino girl nodded her head furiously and said, "Y-Yes, Haku-kun."

"Soubi," Ritsuka asked his Fighter, "that guy's the Fighter unit, right? Why is he treating that girl like that? I thought Fighters were supposed to obey the Sacrifice, not the other way around."

The twenty-year-old blonde kept his eyes on the new opponents as he answered, "Sometimes the Fighters can be rather power-hungry when it comes to who controls the team. This boy, Haku I think his name is, probably believes he is better suited to command the unit. It is uncommon, but it does happen."

Ritsuka continued to look at the younger Sacrifice. For a brief moment, he caught a glimpse of her coral eyes through her white bangs. _'That girl, her eyes look so… scared…,'_ he thought. However, he saw Haku prepare for battle and turned his attention towards Soubi.

* * *

Not even five minutes later, 'Joyless' lay motionless on the ground before the mixed unit. The only sign that they were even alive was the steady rise and fall of their chests.

"That was surprisingly easy," Soubi commented. He turned to his Sacrifice and asked, "Are you alright, Ritsuka?"

The boy in question nodded his head as he breathed a sigh of relief. "Were they really sent by Septimal Moon? It seemed almost _too_ easy."

"The girl," Soubi said out of nowhere. Ritsuka looked at the man questionably. Soubi inclined his head towards the 'Joyless' Sacrifice, who looked like she was regaining consciousness. Ayame lifted her white head and looked at the two males standing in front of her. Ritsuka noticed the look of curiousness in her eyes.

"… Tell me…," she asked, "Do you… feel… any joy in your life…?"

The purple-haired child looked at the albino with a startled expression, "I… uh… I guess."

"What does… what does it feel like?" Ayame continued. "Please… I have to know…"

The 'Loveless' and 'Beloved' team looked at each other before turning to the girl and looking like her like she was from another planet. "Well, I guess you could say it feels like a warmth filling your entire body, especially where your heart is," Soubi tried to explain.

Ayame was silent for a moment. "… Oh," she sighed. "I… I guess I really haven't felt any joy… in my life, yet." With that, the girl collapsed again, completely losing consciousness.

The two conscious males said nothing for a few minutes as what just happened sank in. "So…," Soubi began, "shall we continue to your home?"

"… Sure," Ritsuka nodded, "Let's go."

As the two left the area, Ritsuka took one last look back at the unconscious girl on the ground. _'To be without any joy…,'_ he thought. _'Now that's just depressing.'_

To be continued…

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**Wow… I don't know about you, but I didn't like how I started this fic. Hopefully it will get better as we continue on. Please be patient with me!**

**(1)-Ayame's hairstyle: For those of you who know the Fruits Basket series, think of Kisa Sohma's hairstyle, only the color is pure white. It's so cute!!**

**I'll write profiles on my two characters in the next chapter if you wish to know a little more about them.**


	2. Chapter Two: Soubi's New Charge

**The Bond Between Love and Joy**

**By H-Dawg_luvs_anime**

**Hey, everyone! I'm back with another chapter of my Loveless fic. Special thanks to serenie-beanie for your message. Thanks a lot, pal!**

**Ritsuka: don't you have something you should be doing right now?**

**... What?**

**Ritsuka: Ooh, I don't know... maybe STARTING THE DAMN CHAPTER?**

**OOOOHHHH! Thanks, I almost forgot! :D**

**Ritsuka: ...**

**Ayame: Ano... H-Dawg-san does not own Loveless or its characters. She does own me and Haku-kun.**

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**Chapter Two – Soubi's New Charge**

"Kyaa!" Ayame cried out in pain as she was thrown to the ground. Trembling, she slowly looked up at the enraged figure of her Fighter.

"We lost... to a team that isn't even truly a team," Haku spoke in a quiet tone. Dangerously quiet. "Do you know how humiliating that is Ayame?" The boy's voice was beginning to grow higher in volume.

Ayame's red eyes began to fill up with tears as she answered, "N... No, Haku-kun, I-,"

"Of course you don't!!" Haku yelled as he brought back a fist and slammed it into Ayame's cheek. The albino child once again fell down and clutched her face, which was already beginning to swell. As she curled herself up in self-defence, Haku proceeded to kick her legs that were guarding her chest and stomach. Ayame knew she was going to be severely bruised in the morning.

"It's your fault we always lose! All your fault! You're so weak! Weak!!" the Fighter kept jeering as he continued his physical assault on the girl.

_'I know,'_ Ayame agreed solemnly in her head as she took the beatings. _'I am too weak.'_

* * *

Soubi proceeded back to his home after he made sure Ritsuka was escorted home safely. His thoughts were on the Battle they were in earlier, particularly on the team they had faced, Joyless.

_'That fight was the shortest one I have ever been in. Not long after the first spells were cast, that little girl was already being bound,'_ the blonde thought critically. _'It's strange that they would send such a weak team after us.'_

"What are you up to, Ritsu?" Soubi thought aloud. Just then he noticed a black spot in the alley he was just passing. Taking a closer look, he raised an eyebrow at the crumpled figure of the albino girl – Ayame, he thought her name was. Studying the small child, he noticed that her torso was showing signs of breathing; she was still alive, just unconscious.

Soubi took a quick look around him to make sure no one was in the general area before he entered the alley and scooped the girl up into his arms. "If I leave you here like this," he reasoned, "Ritsuka will be angry at me." Leaving the alley, he once again began walking home, this time with an extra guest.

'_Let's just hope Youji and Natsuo won't torment her too much.'_

* * *

The said Zero boys were currently eating sweets as they watched a horror movie on TV.

"Look at that idiot. She's actually going back into the house!" Youji laughed around the lollipop in his mouth.

"You're gonna get it~," Natsuo said in a sing-song voice as they watched the girl on the screen make her way through the haunted house with a terrified look on her face. The boys leaned forward in anticipation as the girl neared an ominous-looking door. Slowly, she raised her hand, turned the doorknob, opened the door, -

Just then the door to the apartment opened suddenly, causing the long-haired boys to nearly jump out of their skins and send the candies on their laps tumbling to the floor. Turning quickly at the same time, Youji and Natsuo noticed Soubi standing at the doorway.

"Damn it, Soubi!" Youji cursed. "Don't come in so suddenly!"

"Welcome home," Natsuo said, still slightly shaken from the scare.

Soubi acknowledged the Zero boys with his usual calm expression. "Maybe you wouldn't be so jumpy if you cut down on the sugar," he said. The boys looked down at their sweets and quickly hugged them to themselves, showing that they were not going to part with them so easily.

Just then Natsuo noticed the small girl in Soubi's arms. "Who's that?" he asked

"A girl," Soubi answered bluntly.

Youji snorted, "No duh, Soubi. Who _exactly_ is she? Don't tell me you're going for little girls, too," he added the last line with a sly grin.

Soubi ignored the green-haired boy's taunt as he took the child into the Zeros' bedroom. Youji and Natsuo followed after him, their interest in the movie lost in exchange for their curiosity of who the white-haired girl was.

When they got a good look at the child as Soubi laid her down on their bed, they recognized the face almost instantly. "No way!" They exclaimed at the same time.

Soubi turned to them and raised an eyebrow. "You know her?" he asked.

Suddenly Youji started laughing. "Y-You're kidding me! They sent _Joyless_ of all teams?!" he wheezed out.

Natsuo was chuckling, as well, "Joyless is one of the weakest teams in Septimal Moons. Ayame here is kinda the opposite of us, since she has a low pain tolerance level. What were they thinking?"

"That's enough, you two," Soubi interrupted before they could continue. "I need to dress her wounds, so leave."

"Wounds?" Natsuo asked. He and his Sacrifice took a closer look at Ayame, seeing the angry bruises and other injuries covering her. "What happened to her?"

"I don't know," Soubi said bluntly as he went to retrieve the first aid kit. "I found her in the alley like this."

The Zero boys looked at each other. "You don't think... Haku still beats her, do you?" Youji asked in a soft voice.

"Beats me, but probably. He's got a short temper. I'm actually kind of scared of him, myself," Natsuo said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Her Fighter beats her?" Soubi's voice said behind him. Turning around, Youji and Natsuo noticed he had kneeled beside Ayame again and was removing her shirt slightly while making sure the blanket was keeping her dignity. As her arms left their sleeves, the blonde noticed the word 'Joyless' was written, from her shoulder to her elbow, right along the side of her right arm. He began bandaging her arms as he tuned into the younger boys' talk.

"Yeah," Youji said, "Kinda like what Ritsuka's mom does to him, only not as psychotic." The green-haired boy noticed Soubi's hard look at the mention of Ritsuka's treatment and quickly changed the subject, "So, what's gonna happen to her?"

Soubi thought for a moment. _'She gets the same treatment as Ritsuka does, and from her Fighter, no less. Given the circumstances, I don't think I should let her go back to that boy.' _Soubi gave a mental sigh. _'I guess I have no choice.'_

"She's staying with us," he said, leaving no questions asked.

Youji and Natsuo looked at each other and smirked.

"You hear that? Soubi's letting a _girl_ stay here," Natsuo giggled.

Youji nodded. "This is gonna be fun," he said.

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**And there's chapter two! This chapter turned out much better than the last one in my mind. AND I included two of my three favourite characters in it, Youji and Natsuo!! ::doing a happy dance::**

**Ritsuka: I wasn't in this chapter.**

**Aww, don't worry Ritsuka-kun. You'll star in plenty of chapters to come.**

**Ritsuka: Who said I was worried? I'm happy I wasn't in this chapter.**

**............**

**Ayame: Please Read and Review this chapter. Authoress-san would really appreciate it if you did. ::bows:: Ja ne!**


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